The Overview Report examines the connections between culture, gender and development and addresses key questions: What has gender and development got to do with culture? Is gender and development an interference in people’s cultures? How can these issues be tackled on a practical level? As a starting point, a closer look is taken at what we mean by culture. Global, national and local forces create the many conflicting ideas of what counts as 'local culture'. The 'culture' of the international development industry is created by structures of power and inequality. A call is made for people to identify and take action against oppressive practices, instead of standing back in respect of culture.

This report features gender and development thinking and initiatives which both challenge oppressive practices and counteract north-south power imbalances. Stories of cultural change are told including: a local led initiative in combating female genital mutilation in Kenya; intersex activism in Bangladesh; men organising against gender violence in Brazil. Cultural change in development organisations is also described, such as the decision by international NGO ACORD to move all key decision making positions to Africa.Recommendations from the Overview Report

Charges of western imposition are often made in response to gender interventions. These accusations may be accurate, or simply a politically motivated effort to obstruct transformation of gender relations, or both! The possibility of both being true needs to be considered.

Development will always impact on cultures and development interventions always impact on gender. They either change things (for better or worse), or sanction and reinforce the status quo. Ignoring gender in development is just as much a cultural assumption as putting it on the agenda. Cultural impact needs to be conscious and considered, and one directed at challenging oppressive norms of gender, sex, sexuality, and north-south dynamics.

Culture and tradition can enable or obstruct, and be oppressive or liberating for different people at different times. There is nothing sacred about culture, and value judgements need to be made about which aspects of culture to hold on to, and which to let go of.

However, who makes such judgements is an important issue. ‘Outsiders’ need to be cautious about how they judge other people’s cultures. However, this does not mean standing back in ‘respect’ of ‘local culture’. Instead, developers need to make space for discussion of cultures by ‘insiders’ and enable people to identify and take action against practices they find oppressive.

Development thinking and practice – including GAD – are themselves laden with cultural assumptions. Individuals and organisations need to challenge their own assumptions and power dynamics. This examination should include issues of north and south, race, sex, sexuality and gender.

Enabling participation and leadership of previously excluded groups (eg. women, black people or southern staff members) can contribute to changing the culture of development organisations and reorienting their priorities.